Sleeping Beauties: A Novel

In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep: They become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent; and while they sleep they go to another place.... The men of our world are abandoned, left to their increasingly primal devices. One woman, however, the mysterious Evie, is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease.

The master at his scarifying best! From heart-pounding terror to the eeriest of whimsy - tales from the outer limits of one of the greatest imaginations of our time! Trucks that punish and beautiful teen demons who seduce a young man to massacre; curses whose malevolence grows through the years; obscene presences and angels of grace - here, indeed, is a night-blooming bouquet of chills and thrills.

What is it about the cat that captivates the creative imagination? No other creature has inspired so many authors to take pen to page. Mystery, horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories have all been written about cats.

The Horror on the Links: The Complete Tales of Jules De Grandin, Volume One

Seabury Quinn's short stories were featured in well more than half of the pulp magazine Weird Tales' original publication run. His most famous character, the supernatural French detective Dr. Jules de Grandin, investigated cases involving monsters, devil worshippers, serial killers, and spirits from beyond the grave, often set in the small town of Harrisonville, New Jersey.

Salem's Lot

Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem's Lot in the hopes that living in an old mansion, long the subject of town lore, will help him cast out his own devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods and only one comes out alive Mears begins to realize that there may be something sinister at work and that his hometown is under siege by forces of darkness far beyond his control.

The Stand

This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides - or are chosen.

Four Past Midnight

Four chiller novellas set to keep listeners awake long after bedtime. One Past Midnight: "The Langoliers" takes a red-eye flight from LA to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only 11 passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn't. Something's waiting for them, you see.

The second immortal volume in this dark and fantastic series, Fangs is a scintillating and sinister collection of vampire stories and part of the now legendary Vampire Archives. Including Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Many Many More.

Gwendy's Button Box: Includes Bonus Story "The Music Room"

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974, 12-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zigzag up the cliffside. At the top of the stairs, Gwendy catches her breath and listens to the shouts of the kids on the playground. One day a stranger calls to Gwendy: "Hey, girl. Come on over here for a bit. We ought to palaver, you and me."

Jim &#34;The Impatient&#34; says:"THE PEOPLE SEE A LEVER, THEY WANT TO PULL IT"

Just After Sunset: Stories

Just After Sunset - call it dusk, call it twilight, it's a time when human intercourse takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you. It's the perfect time for Stephen King.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories

A master storyteller at his best - the O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King delivers a generous collection of stories, several of them brand-new, featuring revelatory autobiographical comments on when, why, and how he came to write (or rewrite) each story. Magnificent, eerie, utterly compelling, these stories comprise one of King's finest gifts to his constant fan. "I made them especially for you," says King. "Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth."

The Tommyknockers

Writer Bobbi Anderson becomes obsessed with digging up something she's found buried in the woods near her home. With the help of her friend, Jim Gardener, she uncovers an alien spaceship. Though exposure to the Tommyknockers, who piloted the alien ship, has harmful effects on residents' health, the people of Haven develop a talent for creating innovative devices under their increasingly malignant influence.

The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard

Robert E. Howard, renowned creator of Conan the Barbarian, was also a master at conjuring tales of hair-raising horror. In a career spanning only 12 years, Howard wrote more than 100 stories, with his most celebrated work appearing in Weird Tales, the preeminent pulp magazine of the era.

Needful Things

Leland Gaunt opens a new shop in Castle Rock called Needful Things. Anyone who enters his store finds the object of his or her lifelong dreams and desires: a prized baseball card, a healing amulet. In addition to a token payment, Gaunt requests that each person perform a little "deed", usually a seemingly innocent prank played on someone else from town. These practical jokes cascade out of control, and soon the entire town is doing battle with itself. Only Sheriff Alan Pangborn suspects that Gaunt is behind the population's increasingly violent behavior.

The Shadow - The Complete Radio Show Collection - Including more than 250 Shows

The Shadow was long believed to have debuted on radio as a program in its own right on September 26, 1937, on the Mutual Broadcasting System. But the character actually premiered in September 1931, on CBS, as part of the hourlong The Blue Coal Radio Revue (named for the show's sponsor), featuring Frank Readick - The Shadow announcer of Detective Stories - as The Shadow, and playing Sundays at 5:30 p.m. Eastern standard time.

Desperation

Located off a desolate stretch of Interstate 50, Desperation, Nevada, has few connections with the rest of the world. It is a place, though, where the seams between worlds are thin. And it is a place where several travelers are abducted by Collie Entragian, the maniacal police officer of Desperation. Entragian uses various ploys for the abductions, from an arrest for drug possession to "rescuing" a family from a nonexistent gunman.

Under the Dome: A Novel

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when - or if - it will go away.

Hearts in Atlantis

All the stories in this collection from Stephen King are related to the Vietnam War. King fans will recognize echoes of The Dark Tower series in the collection's first story, "Low Men in Yellow Coats." As the characters develop over the next four stories, King's version of the Vietnam War becomes one of his most frightening tales ever.

The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Nine

For more than three decades, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror fans crave. Now, with the ninth volume of the series, Datlow is back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night.

Graveyard Shift and Other Stories From Night Shift

Consummate master of his craft, Stephen King has kept millions awake past midnight shivering at tales that probe the shadows and reveal the dark side. Now listeners can chill to this second dramatic unabridged production of short stories from his best selling book, Night Shift. It brings Stephen King's demonic stories fully to life - and the terror even closer to home.

The Dead Zone

Johnny Smith awakens from a five-year coma after his car accident and discovers that he can see people's futures and pasts when he touches them. Many consider his talent a gift; Johnny feels cursed. His fiancée married another man during his coma, and people clamor for him to solve their problems. When Johnny has a disturbing vision after he shakes the hand of an ambitious and amoral politician, he must decide if he should take drastic action to change the future.

It

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It's a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real. They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made 28 years ago calls them to reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children.

Publisher's Summary

The Vampire Archives is the biggest, hungriest, undeadliest collection of vampire stories, as well as the most comprehensive bibliography of vampire fiction ever assembled. Dark, stormy, and delicious, once it sinks its teeth into you there’s no escape.

Vampires! Whether imagined by Bram Stoker or Anne Rice, they are part of the human lexicon and as old as blood itself. They are your neighbors, your friends, and they are always lurking. Now Otto Penzler—editor of the best-selling Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps—has compiled the darkest, the scariest, and by far the most evil collection of vampire stories ever, with over 80 stories, including the works of Stephen King and D. H. Lawrence, alongside Lord Byron and Tanith Lee, not to mention Edgar Allan Poe and Harlan Ellison. The Vampire Archives will drive a stake through the heart of any other collection out there.

This audiobook contains runs for more than 60 hours. Not every of the story hits, but what does that matter if there is always another one? From poems to short stories to novelettes and covering more than 200 years, there is something here for everybody who likes a good vampire story. The initiated will find something he knows and likes, and the uninitiated will be introduced to something awesome. Definitely worth its two credits.

The technical quality is very good, and so are most of the narrators. Very little to complain here.

I got this merely for the genre and the length. I am not typically a huge "vampire" fan. Other medias have worn me out with the same old portrayals and analysis of the legend. But it was days long and I figured I would find at least a couple of stories that would be worth hearing. I usually listen on my way to and from work. I have an hour drive each way. I have a 16 year old son who's very socially active, a 4 year old grandson who keeps me running and a full time job. Those things unfortunatly have robbed me of my much loved reading time. That's when I found audible. While it wasn't reading, it did allow me to listen to books and that was better than nothing. When I started this, I started it with the expectation of the same old vampire steals in sucks girls blood may or may not change and or kill her while people chase him to kill him. I couldn't have been more wrong. There are stories here that captured my attention and held it in a way I would have never expected. Everything from the usual vampire tales straight forward in nature. Then there are stories that you have to remind yourself it's a vampire story. Then there are the ones that are so subtle that you find yourself destracted in a way that you'd never expected. I've found so many authors in this archive that I'd over looked, hadn't heard of or frankly never considered my type of author. LOL I guess that lends to the whole book by the cover thing doens't it lol. If you like a good story, if you like straight in your face or a more subtle nuance in a story; this book is for you.

What did you like best about this story?

The uniqueness of the stories. From the bold and expected to the unexpected and subtle stories.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have and so often the narrotor is judged on the story. This is that way as well. If you like the narrator doing one story you may not care so much for them doing a different one. But you will find something you like.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved loved loved Popsy. It's such a simple straight forward story. You find yourself feeling sorry for the child and understanding that in this instance the vampire isn't the "bad guy". The bad guy is the non vampire, the human who would sacrifice a small child for an addiction he can't understand or beat. It moves quite nicely and keeps you interested. There are actually alot of stories like Popsy. It's really hard to say just this one or that one. I think Popsy stands out to me because of the visuals that my mind created with the telling. Plus I have kids and isn't that one of a parents greatest fears?

Any additional comments?

This book is truly worth the credits and more. It gave me hours and hours of enjoyment. However more importantly it showed me not to judge a book by the cover, the author by a previous story or a narrator by his last job. If you like supernatural stories, rather you prefer hot blood spashed across your face or that tingle at the base of your neck from something you can't see, I promise you will find more and more in this book to like than you ever thought you could. GET IT NOW! :-)

What made the experience of listening to The Vampire Archives the most enjoyable?

Most of these stories are REALLY OLD. I love the old vampires... vile odors, dust, crumbling stuff...some of these stories were very creepy, all were fabulous.

I see some complaints that it is kind of the "same old stories", sorry, if that's how you look at it. For me, it's a collection of classic literature, I love Poe, Lee, Doyle, James...so this is perfect for me.

I didn't like the few modern ones. For me, modern vampire stories come across as amusing or just stupid. Thankfully, there's only a few here.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

I was very happy with all the narrators, each seemed appropriate for the story to me. I liked that each story was prefaced with a little info and each narrator was named.

Simon Vance did quite a few, I think he's got the best vampire narration, his almost whisper voice, perfect pauses...for my taste, he's a very frightening narrator.

Any additional comments?

Great for fans of old traditional horror. Wonderful for a stormy night, with a candelabra and a glass of red....Oh, "I don't drink...wine."

The Vampire Archives will delight you, especially if you're interested in the history of the vampire story.

This is a very comprehensive compilation that spans across cultures and draws from the perspective of varied writers. I was enchanted by nearly every story and I found the biographical material that precedes each writer's work very engaging and informative.

What I liked best about this audiobook is the diversity of styles, narrators, and authors available. Some are well known. Others are not. Each story is preceded by a short narration on the life of the upcoming author. So, I learn as I am entertained. Some of the narrators are European. This compliments the mystique and intrigue of the Vampyres' European beginnings, the attraction and romance of their stories, the melodic voices of the narrator, and continuity of interest in listening. The extremely descriptive stories take the listener on an almost interactive voyage with the characters. This is best enjoyed using headphones or alone with lights down low, in a recliner or bed. I am very happy with this item. I was NEVER bored.

What did you like best about this story?

This audiobook has eight parts! There are over 61 hours of listening! Each consists of several narrated stories. Its almost impossible to list which is a favorite. Since I LOVE all things Vampyre and this entire selection is specific in that area, all of the stories are my favorite! What I like best is the subject in all stories is about vampyres.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not heard any of the narrators before. I have noted their names in the bibliography and now know to look for them in the future.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The Edgar Allen Poe story of "Ligeia" was particularly moving. I had heard of it before, but never read or heard it.

Any additional comments?

Please make more compilation audiobooks such as this one. Genre-specific compilations are like one-stop shopping for people like me and offer diversity in single purchases. Simply provide a listing of contents (author, narrator, total times for each story, and total audiobook time) to make selections easier.

I can't say if this IS the most complete volume of vampire stories ever published, but it certainly covers a very broad watershed. When I saw that the stories go back as far as the 19th century, I expected some dull and even downright tedious stories among this collection. Not at all! The stories are all interesting. The range of narrators adds to the interest. This is a really well-done collection of horror stories.

Not all writers are equal. This is where a compilation such as this fails. I would listen to a great story and then here a mediocre one, two or three boring stories where the narrator would just drone on and on.

Would you ever listen to anything by the authors again?

Some of them for sure!

Any additional comments?

I was looking for a lot of Vampire stuff to listen to. The issue is not all the stories are all that interesting. Save your credits on this one.

If you like to work on a cost per minute basis then you won't be disappointed by this. The download is in 8 parts of 7-8 hours each making over 61 hours of listening. There are over 80 stories and poems and I've enjoyed the majority of them.

It's nice that there's a mixture of styles. As well as horror there's sci-fi, fantasy, humour, psychological etc. Some of the stories are classics that date back to before Bram Stoker's Dracula (in fact one of the stories is a chapter that wasn't incuded in the published version of Dracula). I was particularly pleased to come across a Stephen King short story that I don't recall coming across before.

I did find myself wondering when each story started when would the vampire be revealed? I guess that's to be expected though :).

My only serious negative observation is that the way that iTunes burns the tracks to CD it makes it difficult to skip to the start of then next story on a car CD player when you don't like a particular story.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Kathryn

Reading, United Kingdom

11/18/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"WOW!"

What an interesting and varied book! So many different types of vampires. Lovely to hear stories from the not too distant past, but out of print or vogue, although this subject is anything but!Haven't been this glued for a long time! Thanks

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

Planet Earth

2/9/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"A huge volume of tales, sound good some not so goo"

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this audiobook to a friend although some of the stories aren't that great a lot of them are well worth a listen.

Would you be willing to try another book from the authors? Why or why not?

Yes I would try other books by some of the authors as there are so many different styles of writing and I'm sure that full length stories would be much better.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Too many narrators to mention.

Did The Vampire Archives inspire you to do anything?

No not really, these stories are good if you only have a short time to listen each day.

Any additional comments?

Good collection of tales (some seem unfinished) and I know these are short stories but some of them seem rushed & muddled.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Donal

westmeath, Ireland

7/9/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Credits well spent"

If you could sum up The Vampire Archives in three words, what would they be?

Value Quality Dark - Great stories and narrators, stories from 17th Century to present day with stoires and authors from across cultures and the world.

What other book might you compare The Vampire Archives to, and why?

Vampire lestat, the ann rice series, dracula by bram stoker - so many stories it covers all vampire and horror stories.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?

too many to say

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes but its huge, still listening after 6 weeks of near constant use.

Any additional comments?

Great value for your monthly credits.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mr

SCARBOROUGH, United Kingdom

6/18/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"EXCELLENT COMPILATION OF STORIES"

This is an excellent compilation of Vampire stories written by some of the great masters of Horror Fantasy & Fiction. Many hours of great listening.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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